Speaking with Drive at the launch of the latest Huracan supercar, the executive says his brand is likely to take a different approach to rivals such as Ferrari, McLaren and Porsche by keeping hybrid and electric technology separate to its sports cars.

Instead, Winkelmann says a green version of Lamborghini's upcoming SUV is more likely to become the brand's first hybrid offering. Lamborghini built a hybrid concept car in the Asterion supercar, but a wedge-shaped eco missile is unlikely to come soon from the brand.

"For me, the first opportunity to have the hybridisation is in a packaging which is less likely to be jeopardised by power to weight ratio is an SUV rather than a super sports car," Winkelmann says.

Lamborghini's hybrid Asterion concept.

"Innovation is the key to success for Lamborghini, but not innovation to all costs in every field because this would be disruptive to the DNA of the brand.

"[But] one day the power to weight ratio of hybridisation is going to be good enough... I'm not saying no to anything."

Winkelmann says it is not possible to build a hybrid sports car that meets driver expectations for a reasonable price.

"If you want to have a car which is a clear hybrid, also a car that is going to a high speed you will add a lot of weight – 250 kilos," he says.

Lamborghini says supercars such as the Huracan will retain their soul. Photo: Supplied

"You will have a car which is going very fast on the straight but you will miss corners. It's not going to be the behaviour of a real super sports car.

"If you want to reduce the weight again you have to invest a lot of money to take out materials and things. You might do 1000 cars, but then that's it because there is no real market."

The Lambo chief says such a car would cost "at least one million Euros", or $1.5 million plus taxes.

"This is something we don't see today as feasible," he says.

Many leading sports car brands such as Ferrari, McLaren, Porsche, BMW and Mercedes-AMG have turned to turbocharging as a way to help high-performance engines deliver requisite pace while also complying with emissions regulations.

But doing so can rob an engine of the throttle response, high-revving nature and evocative soundtrack people look for in performance machines.

Winkelmann says that Lamborghini wants to continue producing its Huracan and Aventador machines in free-breathing form.

"For now we say naturally aspirated for the super sports cars," he says.

"[But] we are looking at every opportunity in terms of innovation at what is coming up."

The main item on the brand's agenda is a new SUV to tackle the likes of Porsche's Cayenne and the Bentley Bentayga. Lamborghini is expanding its Italian headquarters and hiring hundreds of staff to gear up for what should prove to be its most popular model.

"Lamborghini is not only a super sports car maker, it is a car company that has made GT cars, which has done two plus twos, it was the first to do a car like the LM," he says.

"Even though in the last 25 years we have hammered on the super sports car busiess, the credibility is there. The market is there and we strongly believe that the time has come in this car company to make the next step.

"We have potential customers not only coming from the ones who are buying our super sports cars today but also those who had never taken into consideration our cars.

"The [prestige SUV] segment is growing, it's growing worldwide, equally distributed in the big markets, also in Australia. We have a major opportunity."